Little Anna
by Keitorin Asthore
Summary: Yoh has a chance to go back and witness firsthand what turned Anna into what she is now. But it may very well backfire on him. COMPLETE.
1. Opening Chapter

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei, not me.

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When one is with one's friends, the topics of conversation can sometimes be random. Such as with the Mankin friends. For some reason, they were discussing their birthdays. It was a nice conversation...that is, until HoroHoro turned to Anna. "Hey, Anna, when's your birthday?" he asked.

The blonde looked at the ground and mumbled something.

"What was that?" HoroHoro pressed.

"I don't know, okay?" she said.

"Don't know?" he laughed. "That's stupid. How forgetful are you? You're probably so forgetful you don't remember your own parents' names."

Anna's eyes were huge. She squeaked like a baby kitten whose tail was stepped on and bolted. On her way out, she smacked straight into Yoh.

"Anna?" he said, confused. She pushed past him and ran down the hall. "What was that about?"

"I don't know," Ren said. "HoroHoro asked her when her birthday was and she froze up."

Yoh winced. "Ooh. Bad move," he said. "Well, it could be worse. I mean, you could have asked her something like her parents' names."

"Um," HoroHoro stammered. "Let's suppose I did."

Yoh winced again. "Yup, she's going to kill you," he said. "Anna doesn't remember anything like that- not her birthday, not her parents' names, not her birthplace...nothing at all."

"Why?" Pilika asked.

"Anna was abandoned when she was very little. Her aunt dumped her at my grandmother's training school, and then vanished," Yoh explained. "Anna doesn't know anything about her childhood."

"Nothing?" Pilika repeated. "That's so sad."

Yoh plunked down on the floor and sighed. "I feel bad for her. She doesn't have anyone. No one at all."

"Yes, she does," HoroHoro said. "She has you."

"But it's not like having parents," Yoh said.

"You know, there is something you could do," Pilika said thoughtfully. "It's a little dangerous, though."

"What?" Yoh asked. "Tell me!"

"There's a chance for you to go back in time and see what Anna's life was like as a little girl," Pilika said. "It's risky, and you can't do anything that might change the future."

"I'll do it," Yoh said. "But first, I'm going to go talk to her."

-----

"Anna?"

Anna scowled and pulled her jacket on. There was no way he was going to dissuade her from going. She'd be back, but she just had to get away. She needed time for herself. She set the note down on her futon and slipped out the back door.

When Yoh finally went in her room, he realized instantly what had happened. But he picked up the note and read it anyway.

_Yoh, I'm going up to Ozorean for a while. Make sure you keep up your training. I'll be back in a week or so.  
Anna  
_  
Yoh smoothed the crumpled note. He knew why she was going to Ozorean. That was where she had been abandoned. An idea popped into his head. He grabbed a piece of paper from Anna's desk, scribbled a note, and stuffed it in an envelope. Then he went in search of Pilika.

-----

"Are you sure, Yoh?" Pilika said.

"Positive," he said. "Let 'er rip."

Pilika shrugged and went through the necessary spells. A glowing wormhole opened up and a pretty young woman stared at them.

"My name is Amarante. How can I help you?" she asked.

"I need to find a girl named Anna Kyoyama, back about...nine or ten years ago," Yoh said.

Amarante nodded. "Come with me," she said.

-----

"Annabelle!" The voice was that of a panicked mother. Yoh grinned. His own mother had had to use that tone with him often when he was growing up. The mother in this case was a young, pretty blonde woman with round blue eyes.

"Are you looking for someone?" Yoh asked her.

She sighed. "Yes. Anna, my daughter. She's almost three, and she loves to wander off," she said.

"I can help you look," Yoh offered.

"Oh, would you?" she exclaimed. "She might've gone down to the creek. It's in those woods."

Yoh nodded and headed off in the direction she indicated. So Anna's full name was Annabelle. He laughed softly. Annabelle.

"H'llo."

Yoh jumped in surprise. "Who said that?" he demanded.

"I did." Yoh looked up. "H'llo." A tiny little girl was perched on the limb of a fir tree, her short chubby legs swinging back and forth. Her blonde hair was caught up in two long pigtails on the top of her head. "I'm Anna," she beamed.

"Can you come down?" he asked.

"No," Anna said. "I can get up, but I can't get down."

Yoh held out his arms. "Come here, sweetheart," he coaxed. The toddler scooted off the branch into his waiting arms. "Your mommy is looking for you, Anna."

"Is she mad?" she asked, her dark eyes wide.

"More worried than mad," he reassured her.

Little Anna cuddled against his chest as he carried her back to the house, her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck. The house came into view through the trees.

"Anna?" the mother called. Anna wriggled in Yoh's arms. He set her down and she ran to her mother. "Annabelle Rose Kyoyama, you know better than to run away like that!" she scolded. "What if something happened to you?"

The toddler hung her head in shame. "I sorry, Kaa'san," she said. Her little apology earned her a kiss from her mother.

She set the little girl on her hip. "Thank you so much for finding my Anna," she said. "My name is Naomi. Naomi Kyoyama."

"Yoh Asakura," he told her.

"Asakura?" Naomi repeated. "Like the shaman Asakuras?"

"Yes," Yoh said. "I'm a shaman."

"He's nice, Kaa'san," Anna interrupted. "I like him."

Naomi looked her wayward daughter in the eyes. "And you, Annabelle Rose. You were very naughty today. Do you know what that means?"

Anna leaned towards her mother. "Ice cream?" she said hopefully.

"You can't go to the Akitas' house to spend the night," Naomi said, her tone final. Anna pouted.

"That means we need to find a babysitter for Rosebud," Naomi's husband said, coming out of the house.

"Tou'san!" Anna chirped, stretching towards him.

The man smiled and took his tiny daughter in his arms. "Were you bad today, Rosebud?" he asked.

Anna shook her head. "I very good," she said. "Anna is always good."

"I don't think so," her father said. "Anna was very bad, and now Kaa'san and Tou'san have to find a babysitter for her."

"I can watch her," Yoh offered.

"Really?" Naomi gasped. "That would be wonderful."

"And who is this stranger who's going to watch my Rosebud?" her husband asked, raising an eyebrow in skepticism.

"Yoh-san!" Anna said.

"Takashi, this Yoh Asakura. He found Anna," Naomi explained. "He's a shaman as well."

Takashi looked relieved. "Good," he said. "I suppose you can look after Anna. It's only for a couple of hours. Although she can be a handful."

Yoh laughed. "I believe it," he said.

Naomi took her daughter back. "I'm going to get her cleaned up," she said. "Takashi, why don't you take Yoh to meet the boys?"

"The boys?" Yoh asked, following Takashi into the house.

"We have two sons," Takashi explained. "Kanri and Kenji. They'll be spending the night at the Akitas' house, though. Kenji is Anna's twin, by the way."

"I didn't know she had a twin," Yoh said.

"He's older by nearly an hour, and he never forgets it," Takashi laughed. Two boys- one near ten, the other a toddler- were sitting in front of the TV, playing video . The older one, whom

Yoh guessed was Kanri, was egging the younger brother on playfully, while Kenji furrowed his brow in deep concentration as his small fingers tried to work the console.

"Boys," Takashi boomed. "It's almost time to go."

"Hai, Tou'san," Kanri said, reaching over obediently to switch off the television.

Kenji pointed to Yoh. "Who is that, Tou'san?" he asked.

"This is Yoh-san," Takashi introduced. "He's going to babysit little sister tonight."

"Anna stay home?" Kenji asked, his shoulders drooping. He looked like a boy version of Anna, with the same blonde hair and big dark eyes.

"Anna stays home," Takashi affirmed. "Get your things together, boys. As soon as Kaa'san comes downstairs we'll be leaving."

"I'm right here, Takashi," Naomi said. Anna was in her arms, her little face dejected.

"I wanna go too, Tou'san!" she wailed.

Takashi looked uncertainly at his wife, but Naomi was insistent. "Boys, say good night to little sister," she said.

Kanri and Kenji both kissed their sister, who then toddled over to her father. "Night, Tou'san," Anna said.

"Good night, Rosebud," Takashi said, hugging her tightly.

"Be good for Yoh-san," Naomi said. "I love you, Rosebud."

"Love you," Anna repeated, blowing her a kiss. Naomi handed her daughter to Yoh. He noticed a large angry scratch on the back of her hand.

"It's from our cat," Naomi explained, seeing his stare. "Devil."

"You have a cat named Devil?" Yoh repeated.

"Anna named him," Takashi said. "We have to get going, Naomi."

"I have all of the phone numbers on the kitchen counter," Naomi instructed. "Dinner's on the stove. Oh, and-"

"Naomi, they'll be fine," Takashi said, patting his wife's arm. "We'll be back between ten and eleven." They headed out the door, but at the last minute Takashi turned around.

"Please take good care of her for us," he said. And then they were gone.

It took a moment for Anna to realize she was left alone with an almost stranger. "Kaa'san?" she quavered. "Tou'san?"

Yoh bit his lip. He was hoping Anna wouldn't have separation anxiety. His mother said he'd had it so bad when he was two that she couldn't even go to work at the temple without him wailing for hours on end. Yoh patted Anna's little back. "Are you hungry?" he asked. "Let's go have dinner."

Just like the way she was when she was a teenager, the prospect of food cheered her up. Anna wriggled out of his arms and he set her down on the floor as she led him into the kitchen, babbling a mile a minute.

He could tell that this was the center of the household. Schoolbooks and crayons were heaped around, and the refrigerator was covered with scrawly drawings and A+ spelling tests. Yoh grinned at the picture of what he finally decided was a kitten with Anna's name scribbled in the corner.

A calendar was hung on one wall. A giant red circle on a date caught his eye and he paused to look at it. Anna noticed him staring.

"That's my birthday," she said proudly.

"Wow!" Yoh said, with the pleased tone one saves to humor a small child. "And how old will you be?" Anna held up a couple of fingers, glanced at them, and took away a finger. "Three years old? You're a big girl, aren't you?"

Anna nodded vigorously, her curly pigtails bouncing. Yoh checked the date. February fourteenth. Anna's birthday was Valentine's Day. The little girl tugged on his pants leg. "I really hungry, Yoh-san," she said, persistent. "Pick me up."

"I can't get your dinner and hold you at the same time, Anna-chan," he said.

"Hai, you can," she insisted. Anna stretched out her little arms to be held. "Please pick me up."

Yoh made the mistake of looking down at her. Anna's brown eyes were huge and sparkly. He grinned and scooped her up, settling her on his hip. "You're so manipulative," he laughed.

"Ma- man- mani-" Anna stammered. "What that?"

"You can get people to do whatever you want them to," he explained. Anna giggled. Yoh shifted her slightly. _She's such a cute baby. Who knew my fiancée could be so adorable?_ he thought.

The little girl leaned her head on his chest. "I know you," she said softly. "You said I your fi- fiancée."

Yoh nearly dropped her. "How do you know that, Anna?" he asked.

The tiny girl sighed and played with the buttons on his shirt. "I can read," she said.

"You mean read a book?"

"No. Anna not in kindergarten yet," she giggled. "I read hearts. I read your heart." Anna's thin shoulders drooped. "That's why nobody plays with me. I different."

Yoh impulsively kissed the top of her head. "I'll play with you, Anna- chan," he said.

"You mean it?" Anna gasped. Her little face lit up like a firecracker. "Really?"

"Really," Yoh said.

Impulsively Anna flung her little arms around Yoh's neck. "I love you!" she said.

At first he was too surprised to do anything, but his arms tightened out of their own accord. For the millionth time, he wondered what happened to this sweet little girl that made her turn into the inscrutable ice princess she was.

Anna wouldn't let him put her down while he made dinner. She was less picky as a child and ate everything on her plate. By the time they had eaten and cleaned up- with more soapsuds going on Anna than on the dishes- it was her bedtime.

"Anna not sleepy!" she wailed.

"But it's eight o'clock," Yoh said. It was too late; he had already looked at her quivering lower lip and huge sparkly eyes. "Oh, all right. Just a few more minutes." Beaming, Anna picked upa big book and held it up to him. "Will you read to me?" she begged.

Yoh sat down on the couch and set the little girl on his knees. "What story do you want to hear?" he asked.

Anna turned the pages. "This one," she announced, snuggling against him. "Read this one, please."

Yoh read that story, and three more, before Anna started yawning. "Bedtime, Anna," he said.

"I not sleepy," she said stoutly.

"Yes, you are," he countered, sliding Anna off his lap.

Anna's face screwed up tightly in misery. "No, I not!" she wailed. Big tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Hm, that's a definite yes," Yoh decided, scooping up the little girl in his arms. "I used to be just like that when I was little."

"You were little?" she hiccupped.

"Just like you," Yoh said, carrying her upstairs. "Whenever I was really tired, I would just start screaming."

"I not screaming. I cry," Anna corrected.

"Oh, excuse me," he smiled. "Bedtime for you."

Anna's room looked like it belonged to a princess. Everything was soft blue and pastel pink- totally unlike grown up Anna. Dolls and stuffed animals were piled in the corners, while tiny dresses and even tinier shoes peeked out of the closet. Anna toddled on her own over to her dresser and pulled out her yukata. "Turn around," she ordered. "You're a boy." Laughing, Yoh obeyed the miniature tyrant. "Okay," she said. She kicked her shorts and tank top into a corner and clambered into her high American- style bed. Then she folded her hands and looked at him. "Now you have to brush my hair like Kaa'san does," Anna explained.

"Sure, Anna," Yoh said. He sat down behind her and took the little hairbrush she offered him. Anna's hair was very long, almost to her waist, and had the tiniest bit of a curl to it. Yoh took the elastics out and brushed her fine, silky hair until it crackled. "Is that good?"

She nodded, yawning sleepily, and slid under the covers. Yoh tucked them around her. "Now I need my blankie," she said. "It's lello."

"Yellow?" he guessed.

Anna nodded again and hugged the yellow blanket he handed her. "This is my lello baby blanket," she told him. "I love it."

"Do you love me?" Yoh asked.

"Yes," she said. Anna put a little arm around his neck and kissed him on the lips- an innocent baby's kiss. "Night night, Yoh."

"Good night, Anna," he said, kissing her soft cheek. "Sweet dreams." He got up and turned off the light, leaving the door open wide enough to let in the hallway light.  
Now that Anna was in bed, he could wander around the house and find out about Anna's childhood. Almost every wall had a photograph of one of the children. There were pictures of Anna everywhere, her precocious grin and adorable poses lighting up the photographs. Her parents obviously loved her to distraction. So what happened to Anna?  
The answer started to come when he saw a sudden blast of light outside the window. Then came the explosion- a sharp burst of noise. He heard a little shriek and felt someone tackle him from behind.

"Yoh, Yoh, I scared!" Anna said, her arms going around his knees.

Yoh patted her on the head absentmindedly. "It's all right," he said. "Nothing's wrong."

Anna was not convinced. She let go of him and wandered down the stairs. Her small fingers struggled with the lock of the front door, but she finally unfastened it and ran outside.

"Anna!" Yoh called. "Anna, come back!" He ran down the stairs, following her.

The girl was standing in the middle of the front yard, staring not at the flaming hunk of metal in the street, but at something lying at her feet. Yoh recognized the wreck as what was once a car. A sinking feeling tore in the pit of his stomach. "Anna, come here," he said. He came up behind her and knelt down. "What's wrong...oh, no."  
Lying at Anna's feet was a severed hand . A left hand, clearly a woman's. A simple gold wedding band wound around the ring finger.

And a long scratch, like a scratch from the claw of a cat, tore across the back of the hand.

"Yoh," Anna said, her voice clear and questioning, "is that my kaa'san's hand?"

"Anna, close your eyes. Don't look anymore," Yoh said. He touched her back.

"They're dead," Anna said. "My kaa'san and my tou'san are dead."

Yoh's heart broke. He slid one arm under Anna's knees and the other under her shoulders and carried her into the house. Once inside the familiar surroundings and the warmth of the living room, Anna began to scream. It was horrible. Yoh could do nothing to comfort her. He had to set her down long enough to call for help, but as soon as he finished he ran to her. She was still screaming, her face pale and blue-tinged. Yoh hugged her. "Go on and cry, little one," he murmured, kissing her. "Cry as much as you can."

Suddenly Amarante materialized. "Your time is running out," she said. "Quickly, come with me."

"I can't leave her!" Yoh protested.

"You must. The portal is closing." Yoh set the sobbing little girl down on the couch and tucked her blanket around her.

"I have to go, baby," he said. "I promise you'll see me again."

Anna flung her arms around his neck. "I love you," she sobbed.

Yoh kissed her. "I love you too, Anna. Be a good girl and wait for me, okay?" He gave her one final kiss and stepped through the wormhole.

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**Author's Notes:**

OH MY GOSH THIS STORY IS TERRIBLE.

Why did the car blow up? Why did Anna's parents let a _complete stranger who was a BOY _babysit their child? Why did her mother's hand fall off? Questions for the ages. Lawlz, this is bad.

I wrote this in 2004...so I was sixteen? Maybe just turned seventeen. I had only started reading manga a few months beofre, so I was still pretty new to it. I read Shaman King in Shonen Jump...and loved it. And that's how this came around.

But seriously, awful.


	2. Ending 1

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Taki, not me.

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ENDING #1: THE SAPPY ONE

Anna sat up, wondering where the crazy dream had come from. It was full of her dim memories of her babyhood, of the night her parents died- but this time there was a boy there, a boy with soft gentle eyes who held her when she cried. She shook her head as the train entered the Funbari Hill station. There was no use thinking on it. She wasn't going to remember anything else, and even if she did, she doubted it would change anything.

The walk back to the house was long and cold. Anna found herself awaiting the warmth of home and Yoh's welcoming grin. She kicked her shoes off in the front room. "I'm home," she called tentatively.

There was no answer. A light was on, so she knew that at least Yoh was there, but no one was coming to greet her. She bit her lip, concentrating on the physical pain instead, and fled to her room.

The room was dark and freezing. Anna flicked the light on and set her pack down. That was when she noticed the box in the middle of the floor. Her name and address were typed neatly on the label, unmistakably for her. But who could it be from?

She pulled out a pair of scissors and sliced open the top. Inside was a crumpled heap of newspaper, but on top of that was a letter for her. Anna pulled it out and read it, recognizing Mikihisa's scrawling, slapdash kanji.

_Dear Anna,  
Yoh said you'd not been very happy later, and he wanted all of us to do something special for you. I don't have too much free time to write letters, but I did want to say that you are my favorite future daughter-in- law. Actually, you're my only daughter-in-law, but you will still always be my favorite. Take good care of our boy.  
Mikihisa  
_  
Anna smiled ruefully as she set the letter aside and lifted away the paper. T_hat was Mikihisa for you_, she thought. Under the paper she found two more envelopes and a battered little suitcase that was vaguely familiar. She opened the letter from Keiko first.

_My sweet girl,  
I've never really gotten a chance to tell you how special you are to our family. I remember when Kino first announced she had found the perfect girl to marry our son. I have to admit, I wasn't ready for my son to marry. But you are perfect for him in every wau. You are such a special child, Anna-chan. You have already become a daughter to me.  
With love,  
Keiko_

She wouldn't admit it, but there was a tear forming in her eye as she tucked the letter into the envelope again. The last letter was from Kino, and she couldn't help but wonder what this one held.

_Anna,  
I thought long and hard over what to put in this letter. I had my reservations when you were first brought to my school. But you are so bright and so spirited that I could not help but learn to like you. You have a great deal of talent as a shaman. However, I think that I saw you as only a person with power, rather than a person in your own right. For that, I am sorry. You will become part of our family legally when you marry Yoh, and you will become my granddaughter. It is in my opinion that you became so long ago. So, as a grandmother, I would like to give you a gift. The suitcase in this box is the one that your tiny hands clutched so many years ago when you were brought to live with me. I hope it pleases you, and that it gives you a glimpse of the real family you left behind so many years ago. _

_Love, Your Grandmother Kino  
_  
With shaking hands Anna pulled out the tattered suitcase and undid the latch. She tried to school herself, tried to calm the fluttering of her heart, as she reached inside.  
The first thing her hand came in contact with was the tiniest kimono she had ever seen. It looked barely big enough to fit a medium-sized doll, yet she instinctively knew this was the special kimono her mother had dressed her in when she was not quite three years old. Anna let her finger stroke over the pale pink silk before she forced herself to lay it down and reach for the next object.

This time she pulled out a soft, yellow blanket. Somehow she remembered it as being much bigger, but then again, she had been very small. Anna buried her face in the blanket, remembering how she would drag it with her wherever she went. The tattered edges reminded her of that. Setting the blanket in her lap, she reached for the last item.  
Anna gasped as her fingers closed around the cool, solid metal of a picture frame. She knew them. She knew them. Her mother and father, her two brothers, herself, they all smiled back at her. Anna clutched it to her chest, rocking back and forth, her body trembling. Her family. She finally could see what they looked like.

"Anna?" Yoh whispered. He tapped the door open. "Anna, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

"No," she whispered. "Yoh, look at this." She held out the photograph. "That's me. That's me when I was two years old. And that's my parents."

Yoh sat down next to her, grinning, as he looked at the picture. "You look absolutely precious," he said. Then he looked at her again. "What's wrong?"

"I'm trying not to cry," she sniffled.

He put an arm around her shoulders. "Why not?" he asked. "Go on and cry, little one. Cry as much as you can."

Anna hit her fist against her mouth, trying to muffle her sobs. It was too late, she was already crying. Her sharp, ragged sobs echoed in the room as Yoh stroked her back.

"Yoh? What's wrong with Anna?" Pilika asked.

"Is she sick?" HoroHoro asked.

"No," Yoh said, his fingers playing in Anna's hair and twisting it into curls. "She just needs some time to cry."

Pilika smiled. "I know how that is," she said. The blue-haired girl and her brother sat down next to their friends. Pilika stroked Anna's back as she cried, and HoroHoro laid his hand on her arm.

"Hey, what's going on?" Jun asked. "I couldn't find anyone- Anna?"

Her little brother poked his head around her. "What's wrong?"

Yoh shrugged. "I think Anna needs a hug," he said.

Anna tried to laugh but it came out more like a snort. "You stupid boy," she sobbed.

Yoh curved around her and snuck a kiss on her cheek. "I know," he said. "But it's true."

At first he thought she was going to slug him. But her hands didn't curl into fists. Instead, they touched his face softly. "You were the boy," she whispered. "You were the one that held me when I cried."

"I was," he whispered back.

Anna rested in his arms as her friends sat around her, smiling, as they watched Anna's heart mend.

**Author's Notes:**

This is a TERRIBLE ending. I wrote a different one. It's slightly better. So...read the next chapter, and maybe that one won't make you gag.


	3. Ending 2

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei, not me.

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Anna sat up, wondering where the crazy dream had come from. It was full of her dim memories of her babyhood, of the night her parents died- but this time there was a boy there, a boy with soft gentle eyes who held her when she cried. She shook her head as the train entered the Funbari Hill station. There was no use thinking on it. She wasn't going to remember anything else, and even if she did, she doubted it would change anything. Anna sighed softly and stared out the window, watching the rain pour down.

She got off the train and walked down the road, her head down and her hands in her coat pockets. Anna would have continued on down the road, but a slight tug on her coat startled her.

"I'm lost."

It was a little girl- a pretty, delicate wisp of a thing. Anna bent down to her eyelevel. "Where are your parents?" she asked.

"I don't know," the baby said. "I don't know." Her eyes watered, sending fat tears trickling down her flushed cheeks. "I want my kaa'san!"  
"It's all right," Anna said. "Don't cry."

The little girl opened her mouth to say something, but all of a sudden she fell into Anna's arms, unconscious. Her frail body was burning up. With no other choice, Anna picked her up.

-----

Tamao was the only one who heard the knock at the door through the din in the house. She got up and went to answer it.

Anna tumbled into the house, her long hair rain-soaked and her dress bedraggled. "Tamao!" she gasped. "Please...I need your help." Anna's whole body strained with the weight of the burden in her arms.

Tamao grabbed the child before Anna dropped her. "Poor thing, she's sick," she said. "What's her name?"

"I- I don't know," Anna said. "She told me she was lost...fainted...I didn't know what to do..."

Tamao looked at her carefully. "Anna...are you all right?" she asked. "You don't look very well yourself."

"No...I'm fine," Anna said. "Make sure the child's all right."

The pink-haired girl shook her head. "You need to go lie down," she insisted. "I'll take care of her."

"Hey, what's going on?" Yoh asked, coming down the stairs.

"Yoh, please make Anna rest," Tamao said. "She looks like she's coming down with something."

"I'm fine," Anna insisted vehemently. Tamao went upstairs with the toddler in her arms. Yoh didn't pay any attention to her. He held out his hand to Anna. She slapped it away weakly.

"Anna," he said. "Come. Now." There was a tone of command in his voice, but Anna couldn't hear him. She took a step, but her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell hard into his embrace.

Her forehead was resting against his shoulder, her arms drooping limply at her sides. Yoh took her by the wrist and slung her over his shoulder. Carefully he carried to her room. She didn't rouse as he laid her down on the futon. Anna's face was white as death, except for the two bright spots of red high on her cheekbones.

"Anna, you'll have to forgive me," Yoh apologized. "It's for your own good." Blushing a little, he rummaged in her chest of drawers for her yukata. He had to get her out of her cold, wet dress before she got sicker. The thin cloth dripped water everywhere as he pulled the sleeveless dress over her head. Anna's body was painfully thin, her shoulders bony under her bra straps. He slipped the sleeves over her arms and tied the sash loosely. It was easier to put her dry, warm yukata on her. But there was still the problem of her wet hair. Yoh took the brush from the top of the bureau and ran it gently through her tangled locks. With quick, light fingers, he braided her hair loosely and tied it with a ribbon, letting the braid rest over her shoulders. Then he drew the blankets around her and turned out the light to let her sleep.

He waited an hour or so before checking on her again. But as soon as he stepped into the room, he wished he'd come by earlier. Anna was tossing and turning, crying out wordlessly. Each time he tried to touch her she would shy away, whimpering. Her little mouth kept opening too, as if it hurt her to keep it closed. Yoh was torn in two. He wanted to get help, but he desperately wanted to stay with her.

Luckily for both of them, Ren chose that moment to stick his head in the door. "She okay?" he whispered. "She's been sleeping for a long time."

"No, she's not okay," Yoh said. "Where's Tamao?"

"With the baby," Ren said. "She called Faust, and he's examining her now."

"Well, get him now!" Yoh said. He stroked his hand along Anna's arm as she twisted around. "Something's wrong with Anna."

Ren had barely left when all of a sudden Anna's movements began to get bigger and bigger. She flopped back on the bed, her bony arms flailing. Her eyes were open, but the only visible part was the white. "Anna!" Yoh called, trying to stop her. "Anna, please wake up!"

Faust pushed him aside. "She's having a seizure," he said. Yoh stumbled back, grateful for Pilika's strong arms catching him and wrapping around his waist. It was something comforting as he watched Anna shake uncontrollably. But soon she stilled, her body lying quietly in Faust's arms. Yoh's breathing came hard. Pilika smoothed her fingers up and down his arm, soothing him quietly. "She's all right now," Faust said, laying Anna on the bed.

"Ren-san?" a little voice lisped. Ren turned around as a tiny hand tugged on his poofy pants. "Ren-san, I threw up again."

Ren rolled his eyes and started to pick up the sick child, but Yoh stopped him with a swift jerk. "Ren, where'd she come from?" he demanded.

"This is the little girl Anna found. Quit it, Yoh, you're scaring her." But she wasn't scared. Her big dark eyes widened in happiness as she ran to Yoh, flinging her arms around him in joyous abandon.

"Yoh-san!" she shouted. "Yoh-san, you come back!"

"How do you know her, Yoh?" Pilika asked.

The little girl batted Yoh's cheeks playfully. "Anna's friend!" she explained. "This is my best friend."

"What?" Ren breathed.

Yoh smoothed the child's blonde hair. "This is Anna," he said helplessly. "This is Anna, and so is she."

Pilika pressed her fists to her mouth. "Two Annas?" she gasped. "Oh, crap. Oh, crap. This is bad. This is so bad. If my kaa'san knew, she'd kill me..." She grabbed Yoh by the arm. "C'mon. Put Anna...I mean little Anna...I mean the kid down. We've got work to do. A lot of work."

Confused, Yoh handed the sick little girl to Ren and followed Pilika. She dragged him to her room, where she began riffling through a book on her desk. "What's going on, Pilika?" he asked.

"You stayed in the time rip too long," Pilika said, turning pages frantically. "Way too long. Amarante should have come sooner...you may have just signed Anna's death warrant." She glanced up guiltily as Yoh stumbled into a chair, his face white. "Maybe I should have gentled that..."

"Maybe," he mumbled. "Anna...will die? Which one?"

"That's just it," Pilika said. "There are two Annas in one spot in time. There's only enough room for one. That's why our Anna is so sick. The time warp is killing her."  
"What can we do?"

"There are two options. Neither are pretty. The first one means that an Anna has to die. If our Anna dies, it will be the end for her. She'll grow up and die as she is right now. Or baby Anna will die. In that case, we'll have never known her, and it could change the course of time as we know it."

"Aren't there any other choices?" Yoh asked desperately.

Pilika turned another page, her brow furrowed. "If baby Anna dies...hm. I don't know. It could be easier to let baby Anna die than our Anna," she said. "We'll have to test it. Take this." She handed him a fragment of mirror that was hidden in the back page of the book. "Look into it. It'll tell you what we need to do. You take care of this, and I'll try to send baby Anna back."

With no other choice, Yoh took the mirror.

In a single glance he realized instantly where he was. He was in the exact same room, only it was empty of everything. A little sliver of light shone through the dirty and broken window, showing the dust and cobwebs collected in the corners. Yoh shook his head and wandered through the rest of the house. It was completely empty. Even his own bedroom was barren.

"Hey! You!" A man in a yellow hardhat yelled at him. "Get outta here, kid. We don't want you trapped inside when we smash this cave."

"Smash?" Yoh repeated. "You're bulldozing my house?"

"Your house?" the demolition man scoffed. "Ya off yer nut? This house been empty as a grave for near forty years, since it was burned down. Nobody's ever rented the place."

His thoughts racing, Yoh allowed himself to be shooed out of the old En Inn. As he walked away, the first crash sounded.

What to do, what to do? he mused. Where could he go? Who could he find? The first name that came to mind was the Taos. He headed off in the direction of their apartment.

Yoh hit the buzzer. "Hello!" he said into the intercom. "Anybody home?"

"Just a moment." The voice was soft and weak, but easily recognizable as Jun's. Yoh bolted into the apartment as soon as the door was unlocked by remote.

"Jun!" Yoh shouted. "Jun, where's Ren?"

The figure in the corner chair straightened. "Ren?" she repeated dreamily. Yoh took a step back. Jun's long hair was hanging down her back, gleaming white. She blinked her blue eyes once, twice, three times. "Ren?"

"Yes, yes, Ren!" Yoh said. "Where is he? I need his help!"

"Of course. Ren." Jun moved stiffly. Like a woman in a dream she took out a talisman. "Ren. Come here, Ren."

A soft swish, swish was the only sound as Ren approached from the next room. Yoh was about to run to him when he realized that the Chinese boy's skin was a strange color. It was white, whiter than Jun's hair. His amber eyes stared out wide and blank past the talisman on his forehead.

"Ren," Jun said. "This boy says he needs your help."

"Jun, you know who I am! I'm Yoh!" he insisted.

Jun stared at him as she slipped an arm around Ren's cold shoulders. "Yoh. Yoh. Like the Asakura boy." She wrapped her other arm around Ren's thin waist, drawing his stiff body closer to her. "Go away. Ren does not want to help you. Do you, Ren?"

Yoh ran.

-----

His steps finally began to slow as he passed the old cemetery. Amidamaru, he thought. Amidamaru might be here.

Sure enough, there was the tombstone marking Amidamaru's grave...but instead of lying in weathering chunks, it was in one piece, upright and pristine. Yoh knocked on it. "Amidamaru, come out. It's me, Yoh!" he called.

The grave did not answer.

"Amidamaru, very funny. Come on, I need your help."

Still no answer.

"Amidamaru!"

Finally, a voice growled, "I do not know who you are, or why you know my name, but in the name of all that's holy you will leave me alone!"

Yoh did.

Everywhere he went, it was the same. None of his friends were there. Manta's house was empty. Pilika and HoroHoro's apartment was rented by a young French couple with a toddler. Faust and Eliza's clinic was now a bank.

But otherwise everything was the same.

There was nothing left in Funbari Hill for him. So he headed home, home to Izumo.

His mother was in her garden, the sleeves of her kimono rolled up as she buried her hands in the sun drenched soil. Keiko looked up, smiling, as her son approached her. "Yoh!" she cried. "It's been so long since you've visited."

"Hello, Kaa'san," he said. He opened his mouth to ask her something, anything, but she interrupted him.

"I'll have to find your fiancee. She'll be so happy to see you!" Keiko said. She jumped up and went into the house. Yoh followed her, his heart pounding. Anna...Anna...

But it wasn't Anna. It was Tamao.

"Hello, Yoh," she said, her cheeks pink. "I am glad to see you again."

"Kaa'san, where's Kino?" Yoh demanded.

"Yoh, be kind to Tamao," Keiko said.

"I will later. Right now I have to find Kino," Yoh insisted.

"She's in the temple, Yoh-san," Tamao said, hiding behind Keiko.

Yoh didn't wait for her to answer. He ran off towards the little shrine. Sure enough his grandmother was there, praying. "Kino!" he shouted, interrupting her.

"Heavens, grandson, have you lost all manners?" Kino demanded. "I'm contacting your father about the tournament."

"What about the shaman tournament?" Yoh kept on.

"Still in process. The Chinese runt was killed there, by that necromancer with the purple eyeshadow. There was that other one, too...what was his name? Something dreadful. Began with an H. Anyways, he won all of his preliminary matches, but he and his sister were found murdered in their hotel room at the tournament site. Disgusting things going on. But just listen to me ramble! What is it you want, child?"

"Grandmother, have you ever had a pupil named Anna?" Yoh asked, breathless. "Anna Kyoyama?"

Kino paused. "Anna..." she mused. "Yes. Once, many years ago. She would have been the same age as you."

"Would have been?" Yoh repeated.

"Yes. She died of typhoid when she was three years old," Kino said. "What pity. She was such a bright child. Well, you'll most likely bump into her at some point."

"Why?" Yoh asked.

"Stupid boy. You are dead, after all."

"Dead?" he whispered.

"Of course. You beat that little Chinese runt, and his sister came back and killed you."

Yoh screamed. It was all he could do. He screamed and screamed until he had no more breath.

And then everything vanished.

He stood alone, his body cold. There was only one sound- a tiny, whimpering sob. The crying was coming from a tiny figure kneeling with his back to him. Yoh cocked his head. Why was she crying? He reached over to tap her shoulder.

Little Anna stared up at him, her cheeks flushed from crying. "Yoh- san!" she sobbed.

Yoh started to draw back. "Anna, what- are you?" He paused as the little girl hung her head. He tilted her face so he could look into her teary eyes. "It's all right, little one."

"No, it won't be."

Yoh turned around. His Anna was watching him, dressed in a soft kimono with her long hair waving around her face.

Little Anna looked at her. "Hello, Anna," she said.

There was a slight smile on older Anna's face as she watched her younger self. "Hello," she answered.

Yoh straightened, his fingers still framing small Anna's tiny chin. "Anna...what's wrong?" he asked.

She glanced away. "Do you remember...when we were little?" she whispered. "You were always so happy. And I...was always so jealous."

"Jealous?" he repeated.

Anna gestured at her younger self- a miserable little girl with flushed cheeks and eyes dew-bright with tears. "I was never happy. No one even tried to help me."

Yoh took her by the shoulders, feeling every bone in her arms as he gripped her. "Anna, I didn't know," he said. "But I do now. I promise I do."

She looked down. "Yoh...there's no way..."

He grabbed her hand. "There is," he insisted eagerly. "I...well, it's a long story, but I promise that I understand you better now."

Anna's eyes glowed. "Are you telling the truth?" she asked, her voice grave.

"Of course," he said. "Everything will be set to rights."

Anna let go of him and knelt beside her younger self. Gently she drew tiny Anna into her arms, letting the baby nestle against her knee. "We trust you," she said softly. "Go. I'll send her off."

"Will...will you be all right?" Yoh whispered.

"I can't say," she said. "Go. I'll be back as soon as I can."

With that, the image faded.

-----

"Is she...all right?" Yoh whispered.

Faust tucked the covers around Anna. "She'll be fine. Keep her in bed for the next few days, and she'll be as good as new." The blond doctor smoothed Anna's braid as gently as a father might. "I don't understand it. She was so close to death...but we highly prefer this, ne?"

Yoh took Faust's place at Anna's side. She was sleeping peacefully- no fever, no tossing and turning, no seizures. Pilika tapped his shoulder. "Anna-chan is gone," she said quietly. "Not

dead. She was just sent back to her own time."

"Good," Yoh said. He leaned over Anna. Pilika smiled and left them alone.

Yoh pressed his cold cheek against Anna's warm one. She blinked vaguely as a tiny smile touched her lips. Anna traced her fingertips lightly over his cheek. "Good morning," she said hazily.

"That was some scare you gave us, Anna," Yoh whispered. His skin tingled as Anna stroked her light fingers along his jawline. Her dark eyes were curious and searching. "What's wrong, Anna?"

"Boy," she said softly. "You were my boy. The one who held me."

"Hai, anata," he whispered, kissing the side of her hand.

"Will you hold me now?" Anna begged.

"Of course," he said, his voice ragged. Anna's weak body snuggled against his, his chin resting against her bright hair. Soft, hot tears ran down her cheeks and onto his hands.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Go on and cry, little one," he whispered, kissing her. "Cry as much as you can. I'll never let go."  
-

**-**

**-**

**Author's Notes:**

Aaaaaand this travesty is OVAH.

This one's better. I think the time-space-continum-"It's-A-Wonderful-Life" sequence helped. But still, this is terrible. I hope you survived.


End file.
